Customer Reviews

Donald's Story

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The achievements of the 4th Fighter Group, the Debden Eagles of the Eighth US Army Air Force in World War II England, are genuinely heroic. The men of the 4th led all the other U.S. fighter groups in the European Theatre of Operations in the destruction of Luftwaffe aircraft, having at least 1,010 officially credited. In the likes of John Godfrey, James Goodson, Ralph 'Kidd' Hofer, Don Gentile, Don Blakeslee and others, the 4th generated more top-scoring aces than any other American fighter group of the War.

One relatively unsung hero of the 4th FG is Captain Donald Emerson of Pembina, North Dakota. Captain Emerson died on Christmas Day 1944 when his P-51 Mustang was downed by enemy ground fire. On that day his group was escorting B-24 bombers which were attacking a target near Kassel, Germany.

As a military aviation writer, I have read all of the better books about the air war in World War II...or so I thought...until I discovered Donald's Story by Sandra D. Merri! ll. Sandra Merrill is Captain Emerson's niece and about nine years ago, she began to 'study World War II'-and hated every minute of it. But she was becoming deeply affected by her uncle's wartime letters home which had been saved by her family. She enrolled in a college course about the War and, being a gifted writer, was moved to write Donald's Story, a riveting, bittersweet memorial to a man she knew only as a family legend.

"I was conscious of listening to Donald's Story for nearly 40 years, but I had listened as if it were some homespun fairy tale. It wasn't until I had sons nearing draft age that Donald suddenly became more than a deified storybook figure-a real human being, my own flesh and blook. And then the dormant obligation I had felt to tell Donald's Story began to stir, and I knew that even though he was just one among countless thousands of unknown heroes, he still might speak for many of them-reason enough for his story to be told. I was about to set out! on an odyssey of discovery, and by reading Donald's letter! s, finding his friends and recording old memories, I was going to do my best to remember an uncle that I never really knew."

In a unique approach to her format, Merrill manages to escort the reader through Captain Emerson's brief life, her own rediscovery of him, and almost the entire history of the 4th Fighter Group in World War II England. Emerson's poignant letters home, which he wrote throughout his training and his combat service, are the essence of Donald's Story and, unless you are made of wood, you will be moved by them. Merrill's journey of discovery is the reader's journey, and it is heart-breaking, uplifting and quite unforgettable.

Joe Noah, author of GEORGE PREDDY - TOP MUSTANG ACE: I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Tullius at one of his Hangar Parties before reading the book, and the pleasure of meeting Sandra Merrill after reading it. Both Bob & Sandra have done an outstanding job memorializing an outstanding fighter pilot who gave his life for our freedom. Captain Donald Emerson and Major George Preddy were killed during the Battle of the Bulge flying P-51s on Christmas Day 1944. Both were shot down by ground fire.

Reading Donald's Story was like going back in time to those days of WWII. Well writen with letters and actual history of that era cleverly blending to make a wonderful story. Reading the book make me feel like at times that I was actually in the cockpit wiith Donald.

This book is a haunting memoir of a remarkable life, and of a family's devotion to Donald Emerson's memory. The story is very well written and researched and is among the best books regarding World War Two that I have ever read. His niece brings Emerson back to life with great vividness and really helps to make clear the terrible price paid by so many American families to secure the victory in Europe.
This is perhaps the most poignant aspect of the book, in that it causes readers to reflect on the several hundred thousand similar stories that could have been related by other families across the country. This book is a remarkable tribute to Donald Emerson, and so many others like him.

This book is about a young man who gave his all for the service of his country. Coming from the small town of Pembina, Norh Dakota, Donald's Story, shares the story of a young man whose life was cut short while serving during World War II. If you are interested in history in general, military history, or about the homefront during war, Donald's Story would be a good addition to your personal library. I highly recommend this book!

I became aware of this book because because of being a volunteer at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
You see, Donald Emerson's picture, a large one, is one of the first things you see when you enter the Niesen Hut, a replica of a building used at American bases all over southern England during World War II.
I read the brief description of him beneath the picture which said it was taken in November 1944 and that he was shot down and killed about a month later on Dec. 25, 1944. The picture, by the way, shows this young man sitting the cockpit of his P-51 fighter after just returning from a mission. There is something haunting about this man looking at you after having just opened his cockpit windows and taken his flight cap off.
But, to continue, one of the other volunters told me that sometime back a woman had come into the hut and pointing at the picture of Donald Emerson announced, "That's my uncle."
I also learned that she, Sandra Merrill, had written a book about her uncle, and she'd left a copy of it at that Niesen Hut. I found it in a desk drawer and began to read it. Then I had to buy my own copy, and my conclusion is: what a worthwhile book to read.
I'm not sure what else to say except, "Thank you, Sandra Merrill. I've truly enjoyed the book."